EDITORIALS

For better

A same-sex female couple stands by their cake during a mass wedding at a night club in Taipei, Taiwan, when 60 same-sex female couples tied the knot during this mass wedding in the nation that does not legally recognize same sex marriages in August 2011. While gay-rights activists around the world hailed President Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriage as a symbolic victory, for many the idea of legal unions between homosexuals is a distant dream.

Posted May 10, 2012, at 3:23 p.m.

The trend is clear: more and more people are supporting the right of gay couples to marry.

In that sense, then, President Barack Obama’s announcement Wednesday that he supports same-sex marriage could be viewed as a typical progression of the government responding to the views of voters. Though it was a historic announcement about a highly emotional issue, it would have been riskier several years ago.

Still — putting aside whether the political move could win Obama support from some independent and young voters or whether it will galvanize conservatives — it is the morally right thing to do.

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If a couple is in a committed relationship and wants to marry, it should be their civil right. Heterosexual married couples lose nothing by having states recognize the legal ability of a same-sex couple to say “I do.”

Maine could become the first state where voters approve same-sex marriage, as it’s set to vote for the second time on the issue in November. In 2009, Mainers voted 53-47 percent to overturn a law allowing same-sex marriage.

If the trend of growing support continues, it’s likely only a matter of time before faithful couples will be able to marry regardless of their sex.